SAS Nagar, January 12:- Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh today announced that the Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana will be formally launched across Punjab from January 22, marking a major step towards universal health coverage in the state. Under the scheme, every family in Punjab will be entitled to cashless medical treatment up to Rs 10 lakh per year.
Addressing a review meeting with the Mohali district administration and Health Department regarding the registration process, the Health Minister informed that pilot registration for the scheme will commence from tomorrow in district Mohali at eight palces. Residents with Punjab Adhaar Card and Voter Card will be eligible for the benefit, he added.
Dr Balbir Singh further said that around 650 private health facilities and all medical colleges and Universities of the state, have already been empanelled under the scheme to ensure wide accessibility of quality healthcare services. He added that existing Ayushman Bharat Sehat Bima beneficiaries will also be provided an additional health cover of Rs 5 lakh, thereby significantly enhancing their overall insurance coverage.
Giving details of the arrangements in Mohali, the Health Minister said that the district has identified 274 registration sites, including Common Service Centres (CSCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs), Sub-Divisional Hospitals and the District Hospital. He informed that registration will start tomorrow at eight identified locations in Gharuan and Derabassi health blocks, following which it will be expanded across all designated sites.
Dr Balbir Singh said that all Deputy Commissioners will personally supervise the registration process in their respective districts. From the administrative side, Additional Deputy Commissioners (Development) have been designated as Nodal Officers, while from the Health and Family Welfare Department, all Deputy Medical Commissioners posted in the offices of Civil Surgeons have been appointed as Nodal Officers, he added.
The Health Minister emphasized that special care should be taken to ensure smooth registration, proper guidance to beneficiaries and timely redressal of issues, so that maximum eligible families can benefit from the landmark scheme.
Among those present during the meeting were ADC (Rural Development) Ms. Sonam Chaudhary, Deputy Medical Commissioner Dr Amandeep Warring and Assistant Civil Surgeon Dr Manjinder Kaur.